Epocrates DocAlert Messages — Editor's Pick
Does Cell Phone Use Lower Sperm Counts and Impair Male Fertility?
High cell phone use could signal low sperm count.
Cell phones — used today by 700 million people worldwide — remain wildly popular despite reports that the emitted radiofrequency electromagnetic waves could have detrimental effects on bodily systems. In a study conducted at a fertility clinic in Ohio, investigators assessed the effects of cell phone use on several sperm parameters in 361 men who were undergoing infertility evaluations. Men with known chronic conditions that might be associated with impaired spermatogenesis were excluded.
The men were divided into four groups based on reported daily active cell phone use: no use; (2 hours; 2–4 hours; and 4 hours.) Multivariate analysis revealed that mean sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology differed among the four groups, with sperm quality decreasing as cell phone usage increased.
Comment: An important limitation of this study is the failure to control for certain factors that might confound the association between cell phone use and semen quality (e.g., drug use, occupation). Nevertheless, the intriguing possibility of a relation between cell phone use and semen quality ought to be explored further in different populations, including men who are not being evaluated at fertility clinics. Might cell phone use really affect male fertility? Hold the phones!
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine February 21, 2008
Citation: Agarwal A et al. Effect of cell phone usage on semen analysis in men attending infertility clinic: An observational study. Fertil Steril 2008 Jan; 89:124.
Copyright© 2008, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.
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